I have always believed Craig Smith is becoming more of a hot commodity as time goes by. I realize contracts often don't even have the ink dry and a coach bolts, but I am coming to more of the opinion Craig Smith will be here for a longer haul.

I can't say why, just his demeanor and the way the extensions are handled. I wouldn't fault him for leaving for a big payday, but I am happy he is here.

Also, the thread about Duryea's wife and the family thinking he was "almost" there. Stew struggled his first year and turned it around his second. Usually a coach can get the players into the system they need in at least a year or two. He had enough of a shot, just couldn't get it done.

Anyone else see the same here?

NowhereLandAggie wrote: ↑

February 16th, 2021, 7:13 pm

I have always believed Craig Smith is becoming more of a hot commodity as time goes by. I realize contracts often don't even have the ink dry and a coach bolts, but I am coming to more of the opinion Craig Smith will be here for a longer haul.

I can't say why, just his demeanor and the way the extensions are handled. I wouldn't fault him for leaving for a big payday, but I am happy he is here.

Also, the thread about Duryea's wife and the family thinking he was "almost" there. Stew struggled his first year and turned it around his second. Usually a coach can get the players into the system they need in at least a year or two. He had enough of a shot, just couldn't get it done.

Anyone else see the same here?

I'm 80 to 90% on board with what you're saying. I wish I could guarantee that belief, but I've been wrong before. Craig Smith does look like he really does enjoy where he's at right now with this program.

I don't know how long he'll stay. If Minnesota's job opens up and wants Craig Smith, I imagine he'd take the job. I do think he loves USU and would only leave for a job that he felt was a great fit.

As for Duryea, no he wouldn't have been a success here with more time. He was the associate HC under Stew and shares the blame for the program not being great in 2015.

Word is that Iowa State job will be open here in a month. I don’t think there are many jobs he’d leave for but ISU may be one of them.

I wonder how many coyote fans thought the same thing during the '17-'18 season?
IMO - it's not likely that he sticks around past 2022 if he wins the conference again.
I'll be happy to have an incorrect opinion on this

I accept that Smith will leave sooner or later. I don't want to have the fear of him leaving poison the joy I feel while he's here. So I live in the moment with USU basketball.

Aggie702 wrote: ↑

February 17th, 2021, 11:13 am

Enjoy the ride. The extension was the right thing to do for USU, but it does not guarantee he will be coaching here next season. GA infamously signed an extension a week or two before leaving for Wisconsin. Hopefully the extension came with an increased buyout as that is the most beneficial thing to USU if Smith leaves (as well as the best deterrent for some schools to come calling). There will likely be several attractive head coaching gigs open this spring in the midwest. Fingers crossed none of them convince him to leave.

Yep, hope the buyout is good and when he leaves the program will get some good money out of it.

The new buyout ranges from 650k to 850k

We all know that money talks. But ifn' I was Craig, I'd hold out not for the upper-midwest, but for more money in a sunny and warm location. That's just me.

ViAggie wrote: ↑

February 17th, 2021, 12:43 pm

We all know that money talks. But ifn' I was Craig, I'd hold out not for the upper-midwest, but for more money in a sunny and warm location. That's just me.

I think the assumption here is his ideal location is upper-midwest, because that's where home is. Do we have him on record addressing that?

I mean, who wouldn't prefer someplace warm and sunny? It'd be an easy decision if that were the only criteria.

Just pray his wife has influence. She told Craig she never wanted to leave Logan...that she loves it there and that’s where she wants to be.
They must have good neighbors.

The problem with basketball in sunny and warm locations is that there are often more competition for people's time/money. More things people can get out and do. Trust me, there isn't much to do in the winter in the upper midwest. People live for going to watch athletics such as basketball/hockey. I don't know for sure, but maybe Coach Smith secretly wants a warm weather destination but the fact that all of his coaching gigs up to this point have been in northern climates, I'm guessing that's where he'll stay. I think he'd leave USU for any of the following jobs: Iowa State, Nebraska, Creighton, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin. The list may be longer than that but if you limit things to this short list, Iowa State, Minnesota, and Nebraska are all teams with coaches on the hot seat. Iowa State will be replacing Steve Prohm this year and is the opportunity that scares me the most. I think Petino and Hoiberg have another season to turn things around.

Iowa and Iowa State hoops is the biggest ticket in the state during winter months and it is what is covered/talked about on sports radio and news. Same with Creighton and Nebraska hoops in Nebraska. All four of those teams are top 25 in attendance rankings. Wisconsin hoops draws well as they have a good tradition. Minnesota hoops has to compete against pro teams (Wild, Twolves) and against college hockey, thus Golden Gophers don't get quite the coverage, especially since they haven't made much noise for 25 years other than 1 year with Tubby Smith making the Sweet 16. Big Ten basketball is a big time league with lots of great coaches. It'd be easier to succeed at Iowa State than it would be at Minnesota, Nebraska, or Iowa.

I’ve always been impressed by how many Iowa state fans I see around Kansas City during the big12 tournament.

AGGIEinIOWA wrote: ↑

February 17th, 2021, 3:30 pm

The problem with basketball in sunny and warm locations is that there are often more competition for people's time/money. More things people can get out and do. Trust me, there isn't much to do in the winter in the upper midwest. People live for going to watch athletics such as basketball/hockey. I don't know for sure, but maybe Coach Smith secretly wants a warm weather destination but the fact that all of his coaching gigs up to this point have been in northern climates, I'm guessing that's where he'll stay. I think he'd leave USU for any of the following jobs: Iowa State, Nebraska, Creighton, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin. The list may be longer than that but if you limit things to this short list, Iowa State, Minnesota, and Nebraska are all teams with coaches on the hot seat. Iowa State will be replacing Steve Prohm this year and is the opportunity that scares me the most. I think Petino and Hoiberg have another season to turn things around.

Iowa and Iowa State hoops is the biggest ticket in the state during winter months and it is what is covered/talked about on sports radio and news. Same with Creighton and Nebraska hoops in Nebraska. All four of those teams are top 25 in attendance rankings. Wisconsin hoops draws well as they have a good tradition. Minnesota hoops has to compete against pro teams (Wild, Twolves) and against college hockey, thus Golden Gophers don't get quite the coverage, especially since they haven't made much noise for 25 years other than 1 year with Tubby Smith making the Sweet 16.

I completely agree. I think he prefers smaller cities and Iowa State is about as close to family (his family and his wife's family) as he's going to get.